The South Bend School District Board of Directors has approved the addition of high school boys baseball and high school girls fastpitch at South Bend High School starting as early as this school year, Spring 2017.
With the recent board action, district and school administration will now proceed with planning and implementation of the programs. We are excited to be able to offer this opportunity to our students! We will be seeking formal student interest as soon as school starts.
When (and where) will SB play?
South Bend has not had a baseball team since 1986, and the school will be starting essentially from scratch. One of the projects the district has been exploring is where the home field will be located. The district is currently exploring options with the City of South Bend with the goal of developing the baseball field located at Cheney Park on East First St, just a few blocks west of the school. We anticipate that a mutually beneficial agreement will be reached with the city.
Though the field would not be ready for league play until 2018, we are looking at the option of creating a modified "away" schedule so we can begin play this 2017 season. The intent of starting this next season would be to begin offering our students opportunities sooner (rather than later) in an effort to build the programs and develop our teams.
Our goal is to install a synthetic turf infield and eventual lighting at Cheney Park. The Ben Cheney Foundation (for whom the park is named) approached the district with an offer to help with funding the project. In addition, we have had community members come forward offering assistance. Regardless, this project will require a community effort--the end product of which will make South Bend proud.
Will SB play in a combine situation with another school?
The district currently has no plans of seeking to combine with another school for baseball and fastpitch. As it stands, South Bend will be playing in the Pacific 2B league. Combining with another school would likely result in needing to play in the 'A' league because of dual school enrollment. At this time, only enrolled South Bend students will be eligible to play baseball and fastpitch on our teams.
Who will coach?
District practice is to encourage qualified staff to coach our athletic teams. The district will solicit interest from staff in order to assess if any internal coaches could be hired. At that point, we will determine if applicants outside of current district employment are needed. South Bend values all of our coaches, and we have many people coaching who do not work directly for the district. We are fortunate to have their needed assistance, and we appreciate their dedication to our school and students.
Where from here?
The district will carefully proceed with implementation throughout this school year. The athletic director, school administration, and specific staff will organize and follow a process in setting up the systems and logistics necessary for a successful program. This September, we will seek to identify students interested in playing, and will move forward with hiring coaches in order to help throughout the process. The public will remain informed as the process develops.
What can I do to help?
I have been amazed at the outpouring of support from community members interested in making baseball and fastpitch a reality at South Bend. Citizens who have interest in helping with this project can contact us at the school. Ideas and help from the public are always welcome.
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Comments, questions, or ideas related to this article or other subjects related to South Bend Public Schools can be directed to Superintendent Jon Tienhaara at jtienhaa@southbendschools.org
A previous article related to baseball and softball in South Bend can be found here.
Yay!!!!!!!
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